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.