Decorating for the holidays!

The Christmas season is a highly celebrated time of the year globally. The Christmas tradition began as a religious celebration where Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus. This is highly significant due to  its meaning and representation to the Christian faith. However, the Christmas season celebrations are experienced by everybody in the world, both Christians and non- Christians. During this season, people go all out in decorating their homes, malls put up Christmas trees and lights and many businesses include these decorations as part of their holiday celebrations. This tradition has been passed on for many years. Decorating the home for Christmas is very exciting, both for singles and for familys with kids. The choice of Christmas decorations should be able to fit into the current style of the home.

  
What type of decoration styles are there?  
There are many types of decorations that can go with different styles of the home. These decorations generally fit into any style, however for homes with very vibrant colour schemes, all white or rustic decorations always look better.  

 a) All white décor
All white décor is beautiful and elegant. This is the best décor to put up if you don’t like too much colour. This type of décor is simple, neutral and can be easily achieved.  White décor makes a home bright and airy. White as a colour is a symbol of peace and tranquility. White gloves, cotton balls an paper cut snowflakes can be used to decorate the Christmas tree or the fireplace mantle. Gold or silver accents can be added to bring a shimmer to the look. This is the look that Melania Trump has chosen for the 2017 White House chrismas scheme. 

b) Red and green Christmas décor
The red colour in Christmas décor symbolizes the blood of Jesus which was shed during his crucifixion.
The green colour symbolizes eternal life and is picked up from the evergreen tree which does not lose its leaves over winter. This tree has naturally been adopted as the Christmas tree all round the world.  Red and green décor bring colour to the celebrations and generally “pop” in neutral scheme homes.

 
c) Rustic décor  
Lovers of the Craftsman and Farmhouse design styles can rest easy as rustic décor perfectly fits in their interior design style. The rustic décor incorporates natural textures in décor pieces with no pop of colour. Natural wood tones can also be incorporated in the Christmas décor. Brown book cover paper and sisal fabric can be cleverly used to wrap gifts, make Christmas tree ornaments and also be used as dining table placemats and napkin holders.

d) Nature inspired décor
Use of natural plants as Christmas décor is highly appreciated by environmentalist. Christmas season can have a huge environmental impact due to the greenhouse gases emitted from production of Christmas decorations. Use of natural decorations such as branches , twigs and natural plants can have a reduced impact environmentally as these décor pieces are used over a short period of time. Disposal is made easy as natural plants naturally and easuly decompose. 

How about becoming environmental friendly this Christmas?
Re-cycling is a good way to save money and reduce waste this Christmas season. Old newspapers, cardboard boxes and bottletops are waste materials that can be used to make christmas decorations. Watch video below for more inspiration. 

Step 01 - Declutter, Declutter, Declutter!!

Many designers always say that the first step to design is to create a moodboard. Well, i tend to disagree. I think that the first step is to Declutter! Elegant design is minimal. Many of our homes are filled with items that have been purchased randomly without following a certain type of style. We have items made of all sort of materials especially plastic and melamine. These items also have all types of colour and patterns. Good design is intentional and planned. With design, every detail has to be well thought out including buttons, knobs and dusting flannels. Design can be "expensive" and therefore has to be well planned to be done in stages. A complete re-design is done over a period of time. There are many ways of beginning the declutter process.

Illustration 01: A basket storage for throws and extra pillows

1. Put all your items in the place they belong
Before i started my design journey, i had a habit of putting things just anywhere where they were convinient to access or to store. For example, i had an old reading chair that i did not use so i put it in the balcony, I had my plastic teeth floss in my T.V unit as i would easily reach them from my couch and I also had my shoe rack near the bathroom which opens out to the lounge. The first step for me was to put all items where they belonged. The best thing about beggining here is when you begin to declutter by category, most things will already be in one place. You are able to know what you have in excess,what you have less and what you have just enough of.

2. Choose quality not quantity
Once everything is in the place its meant to be, now you can start discarding what you dont need. An elegant design needs good quality things. When discarding, take out anything that might be completely broken, anything that does not have its pair and anything that is completely outdated and irrelevant. For example, in this day and age, you do not need a VCR. It might be working and in good condition but not functional in this digital era. Old items such as bedsheets, towels and rugs should be taken out as well. As you declutter, take out all the excess items such as crockery and cutlery. Also discard plastics, melamine and paper crockery.

3. Schedule all your items
Put together a schedule (List) of all items that are left. To help you be able to put together your moodboard later, take photos of all items in single or in bulk and place in the schedule. The schedule should contain the space name, item name, general description, quantity and an action tab that shows if it can be replaced, re-used or repurposed. Some items may be in good condition, are new and are up to date in style but may not fit into the design style and colour that we will adopt later. Those are items that can be traded in or can be sold to be able to buy new ones that fit in the style and are to be clearly marked out on the "Replace" tab. These tabs can be left blank at this stage till after a moodboard has been generated.

Inspiration pour la journee
Tara Dennis is an Australian designer working with Better homes and gardens. She is completely incredible and gives very creative ideas for decorating and designing your house. The video below will inspire your decluttering journey.

Understanding styles 02) Traditional

Traditional interior design reflects classic European decor. Trademarks of this style generally include deep wood tones, architectural details, and elegant furnishings. This style is quite versatile and can be combined with other interior elements to create a unique look in a room. One of the most important facets of traditional interior design is the silhouettes, also called the lines, of the furnishings. Wing-backed chairs, claw footed tables, and curved furniture pieces that reflect the 18th and 19th centuries are examples of this. Common models for such traditional furniture are pieces attributed to the Queen Anne or Chippendale styles. Antiques are also often integrated into this design style. Although elegant, traditional interior design often also emphasizes simplicity and comfort in its layout. Pairings of furniture and accessories are common in this design scheme. This is often done to create a sense of symmetry around a focal point, such as a favorite work of art, a fireplace, or a large piece of furniture.

 Image i. A piano in a traditional lounge area

 

Color: Walls are typically painted neutral colors to visually ground the elaborate furnishings. While such colors may also be used for large upholstered pieces, most furniture in this type of room incorporates rich shades of colors like red, blue, and brown. Artwork and accessories often incorporate more vibrant colors in a traditionally designed room.

 

Fabrics: Fabrics often come in solid colors, but many also feature patterns such as florals, damasks, or paisleys. These textiles are often expensive materials like silk, velvet, or cashmere. This style is considered by many designers to be flexible enough to also incorporate more affordable and easy to care for fabrics, such as cotton or linen. Accents, like throw pillows, may then be used to incorporate the more costly textiles.

 

Wood: Rich tones are another key element in traditional interior design. Dark woods like cherry, maple, and mahogany are typically used in furniture pieces of this style. These are often carved and lacquered to give them a luxurious, elegant feel. Wood floors are also considered a standard for this decor, although tile and carpet are often used as well.

 

Accents: Architectural embellishments are widely used in this type of interior design. These can include elaborate moldings, beveled wood paneling, and intricate tile and wood floor patterns. Arches, columns, and built-in cabinetry are also frequent features of this type of design.

Inspiration pour la journee

Traditional design happens to be my best style. I love the level of detail in the fabric patterns, curvings and even wall paper. 

Designer Christine Elliot of Christine Elliot Interior design ellaborates how to make a small house feel more refined and bespoke by use of traditional and elegant details. Wach Video below.

Colour through the decades : 40,000BP - 1800's

The art of painting began back in the pre-historic era about 40,000 years ago. Human beings are known to have painted their surrounding  i.e their caves for purposes of aesthetics and communicatioin. Paint was generally made out of local elements found naturally such as coloured earth and soot. These were mixed with organic materials such as animal blood and fatty oils to form a liquid compound. The paints therefore comprised of earth tones which leaned towards black when mixed with soot and redish when mixed with blood.

 Illustration 01: Hand stencils estimated between 35,000-40,000 BP

 Colour palette generated from prehistoric art

Application

Brown palettes sometimes refered to as earthtones became a trend in 2015 interior design. The palette included extensive use of ivory, terra cotta and dark brown. This colours can be used with both light and dark woods.  The palette brings a feeling of warmth and calm to a space. 

2000 years ago, painting became common practice. The Egyptians invented their own paint made by mixing oil or fat with lead, earth, animal blood, ground glass or semiprecious stones in an industrial process. Use of grass introduced a green tone to the palette. Their palette mainly consisted of red, blue and yellow which we now refer to as primary colours. Other paint colours that they invented were white, black and green (made by mixing blue and yellow). These paint colours together with furnishings were adversly used in the living spaces of the pharaohs. 

Illustration 02: The Funerary - Ancient Egyptian art

 Colour palette generated from Egyptian art

Application

Heritage colours are bright and colourful and comprise of blues, greens and browns. In the modern day application, sash green makes the perfect tone that is contemporary and calm. This colour can be paired with accents of yellow and sand.

 PS

 Accessorising the Egyptian look and feel can be fun!! Emeralds and gold make the perfect combination.

The Tiny House

The tiny house movement is an architectural and social movement advocating for simple living. It began around 2002 when the cost of living had completely skyrocketed making people drown in debt trying to pay off mortgage loans. This had led people to live hand to mouth and work for up to 20 years paying 1/3 to 1/2 of their salary inorder to pay out debt. Previously, the idea of the bigger the house, the wealthier you seemed was highly celebrated. This was part of consumerism that encouraged aquisition of more to be more economically desirable.

Does the idea of having a bigger space warrant happiness and comfort? I dont think so.

The bigger the house, the more expensive the cost of purchase or the more expensive the cost of rent.  This leads to the need to have more things in order to fill up the space. This further leads to a higher maitanance cost and so on. 

How can we counter this? by simple living.


a) A simple lounge area

Simple to some degree can mean minimal. The essential elements in a lounge area are a seat/couch, a table/ stool and a source of entertainment e.g a T.V, sound system, book cabinet, Tablet/notebook/laptop etc. Decor pieces only improve the the look and feel of a space but are really not functional. Carefully measure the size of your space and purchase furniture that fits. Modern light form furniture may be a good option as it makes the house feel light. Having less reduces clutter and hence providing more space. An addition of an element like a house plant brings life into the lounge area. In a tiny house, options such as an inbuilt counter on the couch can reduce the need for a table.  

b) A simple bedroom

 The essentials of a bedroom are purely the bed, a bedside table, a dresser and a wardrobe. The size of bed should be dependent on the size of space. Closed cabinet furniture are always advisable in the bedroom. The reason for this is because most of the time, we do not get time to clean up after especially in the morning when we are on our way out. Closed cabinets are forgiving as one can throw everything in and quickly keep the bedroom neat. In a tiny house, storage drawers can be provided under the bed reducing the need for a wardrobe. A bedside table can also double up as storage for oils and perfure reducing the need for a dresser. 

c) A simple bathroom  

A functional bathroom requires a wash hand basin, a W.C and a shower element i.e head,arm or both all with running water. A separate spout is usefull in the bathroom as sometimes acts as the main water source when cleaning especially in a house without a laundry area. The bathroom needs to be kept simple to make it easy to clean and walk around in a tiny house.

As i was reading more about the tiny house, i came across Ana whites video on open concept modern tiny house and i thought it was brilliant. Watch the video below.

Tips learnt from Ana white :

1. Make use of vertical space.

2. Make items that can be folded away or tucked away when not in use.
3. Use furniture that is multi-use.

The Magic of plants.

When i was younger, i enjoyed planting flowers and trees with my dad as it was one of my favourite bonding time. I did it all for the fun of it. Slowly, i began loving the transformation that was brought by the new trees in our compound. I loved the look of the different colours and types of flowers, the shading by the mature trees and the general fresh air brought by all the plants. Both indoor and outdoor plants have a positive influence on the general appeal of a place. If well selected, plants and flowers can drastically change the feel of a space.

 Diag 01: Indoor potted plants

How can i use plants to improve the ambience of my home?

a) The Bathroom

Earth, water and plants are elements that have been known to bring life into a space. Being a wet area, the bathroom mostly has tile as a finish in most walls if not all due to the practicality of cleaning and resistance to moisture. Tiles make a bathroom feel "hard". A bathroom is intended to be a calm area where one feels relaxed . Adequate lighting and space are necessary for a functional bathroom. Addition of a plant completes the space, makes it soft and dependent on the type of plant or flower, provides a sweet smelling fragrance.

b) The Kitchen

The kitchen is always reffered to the heart of the home. The reason for this is because, this is where the meals in the home are prepared. At every given time, the mums are always in the kitchen preparing the main meals, snack for the kids, bitings when hosting or even cleaning up after. With all the time they spend here, the kitchen needs to have fresh clean air, a stress reducing ambience and a nature connecting element. How else to do this other than to bring in plants and flowers.

c) The front porch

The entrance is the face of the home. How a home looks at the entrance determines so much what is to be expected on the inside. An entrance is as important as the entryway. Plants are a great way to improve the entrance of a home. Not only do they provide a perfect decor, they also provide a lifetime supply of flowers. The choice of the plants or flowers may be dependent on the general design scheme,  the size of plant and planters one would want, the ease of maintainance or even the types available within the area.
 

PS
Have you thought about using edible plants as opposed to flower budding plants? Keep checking for my post on Edible gardens to be published soon.

My Wonderful Kitchen

Lots of people have always said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. I agree with this. A lot of women love to cook and as a designer, i think that the kitchen is that one place that needs to be well designed. A great kitchen largely influences the experience and passion of the user. A well designed kitchen should consider properly planned space to work, adequacy of storage, a proper cleaning area, and easy to access diposal area. A rest area adds huge value to the kitchen. All this with great aesthetics make a great kichen.

 
 How can i make my kitchen magnificent?

a) Neutral or light grey cabinet finish
Neutral kitchens are attractive and visually look clean. Light grey colour for example is simple and makes the kitchen feel decongested as it does not compete with the colour of the utensils. A kitchen looks more organised when colours to all elements such as crockery and cutlery, pots and pans and decor pieces are well thought out. To be able to come up with a great scheme, cabinets need to be of minimal or simply no colour. The detail in the cabinets doors and handles makes the design interesting. A great tip to always have an organised kitchen is to have many lockable doors and minimal open shelving which should largely contain decor.

b) Light fittings
Interesting decorative light fittings can change any kitchen from boring to beautiful. Since a kitchen is mainly a task area, adequate lighting is necessary. Both natural and artificial lighting are necessary to create the same effect both day and night. The way to balance this is to have separate switches for the task and decorative light fittings which is quite simple to achieve. This way, when cooking and cleaning, the task lights can be mainly used but when dining, the appropriate mood can be created with the decorative light fittings. 

 c) Decor
The kitchen like any other room needs interesting decor. Since most of the elements are hard, soft decor gives it more life. Flowers are a great way to bring colour and elegance. It is also an affordable and sustainable way as one can simply plant this flowers in their garden. Herbs planted in pots also bring a good scent and also are a functional design element. The colour of the flower pots can be interesting to create a pop of colour or can be an earthtone bringing calmness and elegance. 

PS.

Alternative kitchen decor can be found at my online shop Demeure Elegante. The set-up for this is underway. Keep checking the side bar for the link.

Understanding styles 01) Victorian

Victorian style draws its roots from the Industrial revolution which had a dramatic effect on design during that era.It improved the prosperity of the middle class allowing them to improve and upgrade decor at their homes. Many chose to use furnishings that had previously only been available to the aristocrats and upper class. The owners crammed as many pieces of furniture, fabrics and accessories into a room due to both an attempt to showcase new cultural interests, prosperity and status as well as the fashionable belief that bareness in a room was a sure sign of poor taste.

Image i. A victorian lounge area

a) Colours

Colours in this style are warm and subdued and include soft colours on grey or cream backgrounds, deep rich walnut and mahogany browns, black and shades of teal, plum, aubergine, mustardy yellows and golds, burgundy, rust, blue, green (think sage and olive, not mint and kelly) and "dusty" hues like "Ashes of roses" and a subdued shade of lavender.

b)Fabrics and patterns
Fabrics are chosen from a wide variety of vintage fabrics and trims, printed floral chintzes and toiles to silk damasks and velvets. Complex patterns cover any surface of a victorian home. From multiple wallpaper to luxurious fabrics and oriental rugs, victorian interior design uses patterns lavishly throughout the home. Patterns range from flora and fauna to geometric patterns, stripes, damasks and more.

 c)Furniture and lighting
Furniture is typically luxurious. Furniture and accessories are elaborate and range from delicate to massive. Extravagantly ornate decorations, china, lace, stained glass, flowers busts, souvenirs, framed paintings or prints, should be used throughout the house. Restraint is not part of victorian style in interior design.

P.S
How can one style a modern victorian house?
Find out more in my future blog titled " The Victorian Chic"

Step One, Two , Three

Everyone dreams of living in a beautiful home. Most of us are currently living in spaces that we do not feel comfortable and proud of, spaces that do not reflect our personality or our dream homes. Interior design and decoration sometimes can be costly because some of the items such as paint have to be bought. However, it does not necessarily have to cost too much. We also have collected many things over the years including artworks, furniture decor pieces etc which we are not so sure what do with.

To start on house design projects, where do we start?

Step 1,
a)Declutter

A cluttered space cannot  be a beautiful space. The first step into designing your home is to declutter. This is the best option for those who cannot afford to completely discard items. Once you de-clutter, you will substantially free up space and visual noise. This also helps one retain a few collectibles to keep memories of our life. There are many methods of decluttering published out there in blogs. However,the KonMari method of decluttering seems to be working well as one is encouraged to declutter by item and not by space. See more on https://konmari.com/books/

Step 2,
b)Organise
The second step is to clean and organise. Organising should be done space by space to avoid exhaustion. Once you organise, you will identify the amount of items you  have and how they currently fit in the space. It also helps one to think about how one can relocate items from one space to another that would require this item. Once you finalise all spaces, go back and take a tally of all items in this space and also point out those that can be re-purposed, replaced or those new items required. Always ensure that all items have a home.

 
Step 3,
c)Start with a moodboard
Before you purchase anything, start with a moodboard. A moodboard helps one identify the type of space they would like to create. One should research on the different styles there are that fits what they dream of and different elements they can use be able to implement it. One can get this informantion from magazines, blogs and even online platforms. Houzz for example is a perfect platform for starters; https://www.houzz.com/. A digital moodboard works best as one can be able to delete items at will.

P.S.
All these are topics i'm passionate about and therefore will blog about them more in future blogs.

Bringing the outdoor in.

Plants are always a great way to bring life to a space. In a  home for instance, indoor plants in a living room bring calm. A covered courtyard within a garden creates a perfect all weather space.  It provides a serene environment bringing the outside in. One can make it as an extension from the main house or an independent building. With a well manicured garden , one can be able to enjoy views all year round, all day long.

What can one do with a covered courtyard?
 
a) Library/Office

A home office or library can be one great idea. The glass walls make the space feel bigger. One can enjoy the sunshine and the rain. With inclusion of a carpet, the space feels comfortable, warm and clutter free. This space can also be used as a quiet room where one can retreat to journal, meditate and relax.


b) Dining area

No one enjoys the value of a perfect dining area than one who enjoys to host. A well designed dining room provides the perfect ambience for hosting. One can set it up for light tea parties with the ladies, fine dining with the couples and business dinner with the colligues. A decorative candle look chandalier and a fresh bouquet of flowers as the centre piece at the table add a special touch. Different designs of place mats, napkins, crockery & cutlery and decor personalise each dinner set-up.

c) Bathroom

A bathroom is a space meant to be serene and comfortable. A dreamy bathroom with an outdoor area provides a space for not only taking a bath but one to relax as well. With this courtyard, one can place a shower or a bathtub. An indoor plant perfectly accessorises the space. An accent chair can be usefull to relax as one is having a leg soak or to bask in the sun after a bath.

Check out more ideas on small gardens from my pinterest link below:
https://www.pinterest.com/jwacuka/small-gardens/

Repurposing

Most people get really bored by the look and feel of their house. Even for the very good looking interiors, with time the house becomes 'normal'. As a frugal person, i believe in repurposing before disposal. When you have thought of all possible ways to make new use of an item, thats when you should get rid of it. Sometimes this items will have to be touched up with paint, varnish etc and any other finish to try make it fit in design and colour of the new space. It may even mean moving an item from one room to another.

a) Coffee table to tufted bench

A wooden or metal coffee table can be re-purposed to a bench by simply repainting and adding a cushion or by re-upholstering. A loose cushion with tie backs makes a flexible solution that can be a DIY project. With a loose cushion, one can easily change the cover to have different schemes to be able to move the bench to different spaces of the house.

 

b) Desk to hallway table

An old desk or small table can be re-purposed to an entry hall table. The entry hall is the first place one views when they enter the house. A hall table is very important as one is able to quickly plug in gadgets, store house or car keys, store inhouse slippers etc and therefore quite functional. One can accesorize the hall table with a mirror, a painting, photo frame, house plant, lamp etc. An ottoman to accompany the table would come in handy.


 c)Credenza to mobile island table

A mobile island table in the kitchen is every woman's dream. It is very flexible and can be placed just anywhere in the kitchen. An old credenza with a slight addition of wheels creates extra storage space for cutlery, electronics or even grocery. If not needed in a new kitchen,this table can be moved to the laundry room and can be used as an ironing table.


Check out my pinterest page for more re-purposing projects.
https://www.pinterest.com/jwacuka/

Pastels for calmness.

The word "Pastel" originated in the 18th century and was an art medium used by artists such as Edouard Manet. The pastel colours are characterised by a 'soft', 'washed out' 'soothing' feel.  Pastels were widely used in the 80's extensively in Interior design and fashion. This is slowly being adopted in the modern design to create a calming effect in any space in the house.

a) In a Nook

A lounge nook is a perfect place to to have all sorts of activities e.g a meet and greet tea, reading etc. With a bay window and loose seats, this area is very comfy and private.

b) In the Lounge Area

The lounge area is the center of the home where guests and the family largely interract. A calm look and feel at this area immensly affects the mood of the home.

3. The bedroom

The bedroom is a place of rest, a place where we wake up and plan the day and also the place where we revert to and think about how the day has been. A calm environment affects how our day will start and how it ends.