Weaving personality into home decor while making it relevant regardless of style requires a honed eye, spot-on instincts, the expertise of a trusted designer and imaginative resources. Color, a deft mix of beautiful fabrics, and well-chosen art and accessories, layering and texture add punctuation. And vintage, one-of-a-kind or handcrafted pieces really bring generic sofas, tables and chests to life.

The thrill of the hunt is everything for some shoppers, especially when you land that special piece. So is a good sale. Whether you're shopping Portobello Road in London, a Marrakech souk or a dazzling bazaar in Mumbai, part of the fun is exploring global marketplaces. When you find a bargain among precious items that are barely affordable, it's a real treat. And sometimes you don't even have to worry about having enough cash: Vendors in the flea markets of Florence and Paris make it easier by taking credit cards.

In the last 15 years, "e-tail" sites have been game-changers, changing the landscape of furniture buying. They allow you to scroll through thousands of "curated" antiques and unique pieces, in addition to well-known furnishings and designer brands, 24/7. Some of the products are part of "flash" sales, where the added allure is the savings off a suggested retail price for a short window of time. Like retailers and catalogs trying to set themselves apart, the websites now offer engaging features on a variety of design topics.

For luxe goods, there's nothing quite like 1stdibs (www.1stdibs.com), which covers furniture, lighting, fine art, jewelry, fashion and vintage haute couture from top dealers around the world -- "the most beautiful things on earth." It's like a tour through art history and design museums. Where else are you likely to find a 17th-century polychromatic horn lice comb ($9,500), an English Civil War Parliamentary helmet ($4,500), a rare 17th-century Dutch rosewood, ebony and tortoiseshell cabinet ($390,485), or a specially priced Tiffany Russian table lamp?

It's as valuable an asset for interior designers as it is consumers browsing over coffee on a Saturday morning. "For one-of-a-kind items for the high end, it saves scouring antique malls or searching around the country," says Tobi Fairley (www.tobifairley.com), a Little Rock, Arkansas-based interior designer who also designs products for CR Laine and Woodbridge Furniture. "It could take days or years to find what's all in one place."

Launched 15 years ago by Michael Bruno, a luxury real estate dealer, his focus on Marche aux Puces was brilliant, bringing the famous Paris flea market online, starting out with 100 new items per week. Now, 1stdibs embraces an entire global marketplace. In addition, there's an online luxe magazine, Introspective, as well as a style blog. And 1stdibs operates a 33,000-square-foot gallery on the 10th floor of the New York Design Center at 200 Lexington in New York City.

It's no wonder that other e-tailers have kept pace.

One of the newer sites, Dering Hall (www.deringhall.com), filled a niche for connecting the interior design trade and consumers looking for high-end design. Besides the 500-plus curated products it sells, Dennis Sarlo, Dering Hall's editorial director, recognizes the need for value-added with features such as Lookbook.

"Basically the edit is what draws a lot of people," says Sarlo. "We might cover a particular architect or designer's project. There's a mix of content, ideas. If we do a feature on ottomans, we shop the site like consumers and choose the most striking to talk about. The goal with all is to keep (the look on the page) crisp, focused pretty much on the product -- not overwhelming with a lot of stuff everywhere."

An uncluttered visual presentation clearly is a draw. When One Kings Lane (www.onekingslane.com) came on the scene in 2009, designers flocked to the site largely because they liked the fresh presentation: crisp photos often cued up according to color, with lots of air in between. Another instant winner: vintage and flea market pages and tag sales from designers and style visionaries like Paige Rense, former editor for Architectural Digest magazine. Her sale featured her own furniture, art, books, jewelry and several Hermes Birkin bags.

Tobi Fairley says that tag sales are a welcome vehicle for designers.

"I keep a very limited inventory," says Fairley. "It's a great way to recoup expenses."

Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke at the High Point, North Carolina-based Madcap Cottage (www.madcapcottage.com) have had many successful tag sales with One Kings Lane as well. Nixon believes the most obvious appeal of e-tail sites is accessibility.

"It's more democratized," he says. "A playing field some people never would have had access to. It's the idea of surprise and delight, like the slogan from (grand dame Chicago retailer) Marshall Field's: 'Give the lady what she wants.'"

That said, you need to do your homework when you're buying high-ticket items without professional advice. Studying the websites themselves is a good start.

Blogs, of course, have become such an integral part of retailer and manufacturer websites; consider Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn or a lifestyle brand such as Aerin Lauder. Beautiful, inspirational images and storytelling are compelling; readers crave the insider tips.

Content on e-tail sites covers an enormous range, from how-tos (organize your closet, dress your bed), 10 best (pendant lights, bar carts, etc.), entertaining (mouthwatering food shots and recipes), personal tips from designers, even travel destinations like one in the Italian Dolomites on The Study, 1stdibs' blog. Wayfair (www.wayfair.com) recently called out four ways to entertain on game day, including images for building your own panini station; and, of course, for sale access to all the components.

A One Kings Lane feature on how to organize your jewelry may reach out to the person to whom boxes likely resonate ("amazing at tiptoeing the line between form and function"), and assigns a style icon (here, Audrey Hepburn). And you can add appropriate product to a cart with the click of a mouse, of course.

Shop the Look on Dering Hall may focus on a particular style, like "a charming chalet with modern edge." Cool enough, but one example features Nicky Dobree, billed as one of the leading luxury chalet designers in the world. Following a gorgeous room shot depicting elements of the style, are products to buy: twiggy pendant lights, a hide cube, antelope wall art, tartan fabric, kelim ... you get the idea.

In addition, you can browse Dering Hall's Look Book, which is kind of like Pinterest or Instagram. If you click on a particular shot you like, you'll see an attribution, as well as a way to contact the designer. There's also a tab for locating design pros.

Still another website, Viyet (www.viyet.com), operates as an online high-end furnishings consignment shop, where you might score a Christian Liaigre chair. The company's mission is to inspire interior redesign -- at 50 to 80 percent below retail prices.

One of the more recent entries to the e-commerce world is Bezar, now AHAlife (www.ahalife.com), founded by Bradford Shellhammer. This marketplace for modern design covers art, house and jewelry, and has digital pop-up shops from handpicked designers who sell products in three-day "bursts." Simple premise: "where people who design special things connect with people who desire special things ... authentic and (with) a story ... a little bit bizarre ... things with heart."

Such connectivity seems to resonate -- even when buying a hip, well designed portable grill.

Sources

-- Bezar, now AHAlife, 855-848-3778, www.ahalife.com

-- Dering Hall, 917-512-6900, www.deringhall.com

-- 1stdibs, www.1stdibs.com

-- Madcap Cottage, 917-318-0006, www.madcapcottage.com

-- One Kings Lane, www.onekingslane.com

-- Tobi Fairley & Associates, 501-868-9882, www.tobifairley.com

-- Viyet, 844-924-8717, www.viyet.com

-- Wayfair, www.wayfair.com

SIBEBAR

QUICK SCROLL

-- Bezar, now AHAlife. Originally launched in 2015 by Bradford Shellhammer, an online design marketplace with hip, curated products. Recent cool picks: blue atomic ottoman from The Modern Historic, $300, with black iron X base and authentic 1950s barkcloth upholstery; city plates by notNeutral, Los Angeles-based design house, including New Orleans, Dubai, L.A., Amsterdam and Mumbai at $45 (10 percent off).

-- Dering Hall, launched 2011 by Peter Sallick, CEO of high-end bathwares line, Waterworks, and New York interior designer Steven Gambrel. Combines top-secret intel with luxury home good marketplace, with access to design pros. Create an account, personal or trade. Recently for sale: Dorset coffee table mauve by Maxine Snyder, $2,325 (list $6,975); Radiata handblown glass pendant $1,155 (list $2,310).

-- 1stdibs, launched in 2001 by Michael Bruno. A global online marketplace for furniture, art, jewelry -- "the most beautiful things on earth," where "the finest antique shops are always open." Must register. Recent posts include an "exceptionally rare George I silvered gesso pier table," circa 1715, for $68,000; and an Art Deco plywood and chromium-plated metal wastepaper basket by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, $2,500

-- One Kings Lane, launched 2009 by co-founders Susan Feldman and Alison Pincus. New sales daily; most last 72 hours; top brands, vintage and designer. Tastemaker tag sales (personal collections) plus clearance. Recent finds: overdyed green vintage handwoven Tabriz rug, $2,199 (69 percent off list $6,999); Kemp accent chair, Cerulean, by Kim Salmela, $899 (23 percent off $1,169). Nice style touch: "Why We Love This" commentary.

-- Viyet, launched in 2013 by Rachel Rodin and Louise Youngson-Klasfeld. Pronounced "VEE-yet," a play on the design term vignette; mission to inspire interior re-design. Online consignment shop features pre-owned designer furnishings with strong brand recognition. Average resale is $1,800, marked down from of an average retail price of $4,600. Join now offer of 10 percent off first order. Recent posts: Holly Hunt modern chaise lounge, retail $5,850, selling for $2,925; French 4-by-5-foot vintage 1950s wine poster, retail $4,000, selling for $1,200.

-- Wayfair, launched in 2002 by Niraj Shah and Steve Conine. An online destination for "a zillion things home." Family of merchants includes AllModern, Birch Lane, DwellStudio and Joss & Main. Free shipping on orders over $49 from furniture to flatware. Recent buys: Langford 92-inch sofa by Dwell Studio, $1,660, 20 percent off of suggested retail of $2,089; Renaissance gold five-piece place setting by Wedgewood, $93.99, 59 percent off $230 retail.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

When Benjamin Moore unveiled its 2016 color of the year at a glittery fall gala event in New York City, reactions were black and white. "They phoned it in," sniffed a few designers. "Lame," offered some others. But more than a few voices echoed enthusiastically and succinctly: "Perfect!"

The color: white. Particularly, the shade Simply White, OC-117, which the paint manufacturer describes as timeless, "fresh as the first snowfall, clean, crisp." Its versatility is unrivaled, according to Ellen O'Neill, Benjamin Moore's creative director.

She continues: "From weathered wainscoting to crisp canvas shades, porcelain tile to picket fences, white is everywhere in every form -- that's why we chose it."

Taking cues from architecture, fashion, textiles, home furnishings and the arts, the Benjamin Moore Color Studio considers all in the context of research gleaned from attending major shows around the world.

In further explaining the rationale for white, O'Neill chose more generic references to the hue.

"The color white is transcendent, powerful and polarizing -- it is either taken for granted or obsessed over," says O'Neill. "White is not just a design trend, it is a design essential. The popularity of white, the necessity of white, the mystique of white is quantifiable in our industry. Of the top 10 best-selling Benjamin Moore colors, variants of white occupy five spots. (The paint manufacturer actually features more than 250 shades of white.) It was inevitable that we would ultimately recognize white."

There is an allure to snowy white interiors, especially when they're nuanced in tones and textures. When designer Paola Navone designed a memorable space for the Italian manufacturer Baxter, she teamed leather, lacquer, perforated metal and Tibetan lamb, all in modern forms. Though monochromatic, the result was rich as it was pristine.

For some, the all-reflective white is a prism through which to view modern decor. But many designers also like the way white can modernize traditional. It simplifies and encourages reducing clutter and all things heavy. It also makes older pieces feel more current. It magically adds life to small, dark spaces. It works equally well in rustic natural interiors, with weathered woods and linens, as it does with glamorous decor, often accented with gold.

It's no secret that many architects and designers love white.

"White (upholstery) shows off the lines of furniture," says Michelle Lamb, a Minneapolis-based internationally known trend forecaster and publisher of The Trend Curve for design professionals.

Lamb is intrigued with the newest infatuation with white, as she points out the difference between trend and basic -- the latter, an integral part of a home's wardrobe of furnishings.

"Gorgeous shapes in tableware can be a trend within a collection," says Lamb. "But even when white is no longer a trend, it is so usable, because it never stops being a basic."

Currently, Lamb says, white is trendy.

"Think back to the 1980s when for home decor there was nothing more important than layers of white," says Lamb, "differentiated only by texture. Black and white falls into the basic camp, but like white alone, (the scheme) jumps on the bell curve of trends from time to time."

As a trend in home product design, white is beginning to settle into starring role. It started percolating a few years back at the European furnishings shows like Maison & Objet in Paris, when the ever-present white upholstery took a back seat to white furniture frames -- in seating as well as casegoods such as cabinets, consoles and chests of drawers -- as big news. We saw both matte and high-gloss finishes and even textures, sometimes on the same piece. We saw fresh mixes with wood, from dark to light.

In tabletop, we saw single plates with shiny/dull combinations, often in geometric or asymmetric patterns, or matte or bisque dinnerware with embossed patterns.

The white even moved outdoors. This was most recently apparent at the September Casual Furniture Market in Chicago, in the striking Dansk collection from Gloster, which hit all the style and reference points: modern shape, combination of warm teak with white outdoor leather.

At the fall furniture market in High Point, North Carolina, there were more corroborations of the white trend, hitting some glamorous notes with a touch of luxe in teaming with gold. Shiny brass and matte gilt, not so unusual in lighting design, found expressions beyond jewelry-like hardware, trim and accessories.

Currey & Co. introduced an eye-catching, contemporary interpretation of Eastern style with its Zhin cabinet. Its white glossy surface is matched with equally statement-making gold hardware, and even the interiors vie for attention in a vivid red finish. As a chair or console frame, gold becomes an exclamation, as in sculptural seating by Koket. And very different from more fussy gilded baroque frames is Theodore Alexander's Renata accent chair, gilt framed but sleek, with only a few turns at the end of its arms and its feet, thoroughly modern.

Even the classic enamelware (oval or round) covered casserole from Le Creuset, got a dressed up look: its shiny white body topped with a metallic gold (or silver) knob.

The other face of white is in combination with woods, which Lamb says is more interesting when the pairing is with blonde or lighter-hued woods. "It makes the whole thing even more lightweight. We're not layering neutrals as much as we are layering neutralized colors, pale and complex peaches and blushes." Or even pale cappuccinos.

The seeming subtleties are exactly what appeal to some decorators. Washington designer Darryl Carter calls white rooms "more complex than they appear because there are no distractions. Every choice becomes critical."

Many designers have a favorite shade of white. For Allison Paladino, who designs for EJ Victor and whose firm is based in Jupiter, Florida, it's Benjamin Moore's Sugar Cookie. For Atlanta-based Suzanne Kasler, who has a line of furniture with Hickory Chair and Ballard Designs, it's White Dove.

For many designers, a real game changer has been more acceptability with white, especially in upholstery, due to the proliferation of performance fabrics. Not only are the offerings sturdy, but the finishes range from linen, velvet, chenille and leather lookalikes that no longer live in fear of red wine.

As a foundation for a room's design, white wields a lot of power without shouting -- as it makes colors pop.

No matter if we embrace 50 or more shades of white in a holistic monochromatic interiors scheme, there seems to be one element that's appealing to most. Just like organization in the new year, a cleansing of the palette can be downright restorative.

Sources

-- Alden Parkes, 336-885-2265, www.aldenparkes.com

-- BDI, 703-803-6900, www.bdiusa.com

-- Benjamin Moore, 855-724-6802, www.benjaminmoore.com

-- Bernhardt, 828-758-9811, www.bernhardt.com

-- Currey & Co., 877-768-6428, www.curreyco.com

-- Frederick Cooper at Wildwood Lamps, 252-446-3266, www.witdwoodtamps.com

-- Gloster, 434-575-1003, www.gloster.com

-- Grovemade, 971-229-0528, www.grovemade.com

-- Henredon, 800-444-3682, www.henredon.com

-- Hickory Chair, 800-225-0265, www.hickorychair.com

-- Jamie Young Co., 888-671-5883, www.jamieyoung.com

-- Jayson Home, 800-472-1885, www.jaysonhome.com

-- Joe Ruggiero at M/T Co., 336-885-7500, www.themtcompany.com

-- Koket, 703-369-3324, www.bykoket.com

-- LAUFEN, 866-696-2493, www.us.laufen.com

-- Le Creuset, 877-418-5547, www.lecreuset.com

-- Libby Langdon for Bradburn Gallery Home, 404-355-8624, www.bradburngallery.com

-- Theodore Alexander, 336-885-5005, www.theodorealexander.com

-- Universal Furniture, 336-822-8888, www.universalfurniture.com

-- Visual Comfort & Co., 866-344-3875, www.visualcomfortlightinglights.com

SIDEBAR

Metals and gilt finishes are not new in lamp design. But they're playing different roles, and in combinations with translucent stones such as quartz and marble, the design takes on a warmer glow and sophistication. The key to all: simple shapes.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Both Christmas and Hanukkah are associated with lights -- sparkling on trees, illuminating home exteriors, nestled into evergreen garlands, flickering in symbolic candles. But in recent years, there's been much more thought given to holiday decorative lighting with a boost from technology, including the advent of LEDs, and many more design possibilities. A variety of seasonal favorites from trees to reindeer -- even menorahs -- in tabletop to large scale (five or six feet) are being pre-wired for lights.

LED and fiber-optic lights have expanded design options for Christmas decorations, especially outdoors. The more energy-efficient, durable light-emitting diodes may be more expensive up front, but they are longer lasting than incandescent bulbs. They also are brighter, which has made decorating schemes more brilliant and vivid in color.

Add to that battery-powered operation that extends the range and uses of Christmas trees, which were previously tethered to an outlet. In addition, wreaths, mantel garlands, tabletop tableaus, and amazing gift boxes and ornaments are so beautifully lit, they channel professional installations.

You may well notice a new category that covers seasonal lighting on retail websites, emerging from under the umbrella of all that holiday decor. Prices range from under $20 to several hundred dollars.

One particular trend that has really gained traction is that of mini string lights. Restoration Hardware was one of the first to feature the skinny strands of light in glass cloches. The effect is enchanting -- it's reminiscent of fireflies captured in a bottle. Set on a mantel, chest of drawers or sideboard, a glowing vessel dazzles. Add the light strands to bowls or cylinders filled with pine cones, ornaments or glittery tree branches. Or orbs or architectural pieces made of clear, crackled or mercury glass -- it's an easy way to add instant ambience and a romantic touch, like lighted candles.

The more pliable lighted strands also are being used as a decorating tool to outline objects. At a minimum, they can be manipulated into shapes, like giant circles at West Elm that can be incorporated into holiday decor. Or, taking a cue from larger theater-style lights that spell out holiday messages like "joy," they are used to decorate overscale packages at Frontgate, following the outer dimensions of boxes or ribbon ties, or the striping of a pattern -- an effective option for dressing up the front porch or stairs.

Also, dimensional objects like stars are especially dramatic when the scale is oversized.

The light-up trend also has boosted the natural decorating style, which is here to stay as a holiday category (think woodsy, whites, casual) that can be glammed up with metal, crystal or mirrored objects. Star shapes are striking in weathered wood outlined with lights at Pottery Barn, or in birch, whose primitive forms look like paper cutouts that children might make in school projects. Light strands woven through rattan provide an option for unexpected sparkle. In addition, lit birch branches stashed in a tall vase or bucket can illuminate a dark corner, lending a festive touch.

Another captivating application is incorporated into a live or synthetic wreath chandelier; at Terrain, the light strands are woven through, and fall as streamers for a magical touch.

Battery-operated LED lights also provide options for decorating spots that otherwise might be difficult, eliminating the need for outlets, cumbersome electrical cords and the challenge of disguising them so they don't take away from the display. Weave them into garlands swagged across a window or over a doorway, or across the top of a mantel to add a glow to an heirloom creche or seasonal evergreens and ornaments.

Even conventional hanging baskets for the outdoors are being treated to holiday lights. Brookstone sells one ready to hang, its moss-filled metal frame plumped with synthetic evergreens threaded with LED lights.

Color choices are noticeably richer, often with an option for warm or cool white light or multiple colors, with new alternatives such as pink and purple added to the mix. Some can create a sort of light show, covering several hues or offering the option to stay on one color. And at Frontgate and Brookstone, you can purchase remotes to quickly switch on and off.

Any medium that's reflective is especially effective with lights. That's why mercury glass vessels or small Christmas trees or globes, lit from within, are favorites. Now there are also mercury glass light strands, which have a retro look.

Also in the retro vein are theater-style lights with holiday messages. This year, there's a new twist at Pottery Barn. The bulbs outline bronze letters that anchor hooks for Christmas stockings. One especially poignant message: PEACE.

There are plenty of inspiring decorating ideas in home design magazines and blogs, as well as some of the retailer websites. To spruce up your own holiday decor this year, you might consider purchasing some new light strands. Besides the enormous range of unusual shades thanks to LED, there also are a variety of styles beyond just bulbs -- and even those offer a variety in scale and texture.

Perhaps taking a cue from perforated light fixtures and lanterns, there are metal globes in a range of patterns. Some lights are combined with other materials, like a hybrid garland.

With these new lighting options, you can be as subtle or as flamboyant as you wish. Create a tableau of trees as a backdrop to a sofa in a living room. Hang some lighted stars in the windows or from the ceiling in the foyer.

These lights may brighten homes and spirits with good wishes for the holiday season and a wonderful new year -- one filled with love and peace for all.

Sources

-- Baccarat, 800-215-1300, us.baccarat.com/lighting

-- Brookstone, 866-576-7337, www.brookstone.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Frontgate, 888-263-9850, www.frontgate.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- Restoration Hardware, 800-762-1005, www.restorationhardware.com

-- Terrain, 877-583-7724, www.shopterrain.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

-- Wisteria, 800-320-9757, www.wisteria.com

Sidebar

Warm Any Room With Candlelight

The glancing of candlelight across a table and a grouping of votives or larger lanterns is a warm, romantic touch that appeals year-round. During the holidays, there are plenty of ways to ramp up the display.

Choose colorful votive holders in crystal or mercury glass for heightened effect because of their reflectivity. In addition, there are beautifully designed, shimmery Christmas trees that are molded candles with the flames at the tops.

Like old-fashioned little villages that entrance children, there are similar single houses or collections designed to be lit from within, as well as hurricane lamps of metal or porcelain with perforations for making light dance. A crafted quality is appealing.

And finally, there are the no-muss, no-fuss flameless candles, which are amazingly authentic looking, down to their real wax casings, some with gorgeous embellishments, like the white on cobalt damask design available at Brookstone.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)