style blog

making arrangements

Have you ever jumped into the exciting task of rearranging your living room or bedroom, only to find yourself frustrated and stuck two hours later? Perhaps you’re one of the many who have chosen to downsize. How do you tackle the challenge of arranging a smaller space and still have room for yourself?

Here are some tips to help you make your home a more livable and interesting place – without running into a wall, so to speak.

• Pick smaller pieces of furniture instead of larger bulkier ones. This will give you lots of versatility and freedom to play around.
• Make sure you have at least 75cm between different pieces of furniture so everyone can get around comfortably.
• If you have a square room that lacks architectural detail, consider putting your furniture at an angle to make it more dynamic.
• New ideas can breathe fresh air into rooms that seem dormant. A long bench can give you extra seating for those unexpected visitors, or it can serve as a great coffee table.
• Vary the height of your furniture to give your room a more relaxed and interesting look.
• Have some fun with textures and patterns. Mixing them up can bring a boring room to life.
• Plan ahead with paper – cut out pieces of your furniture to scale, then play around with your room arrangement. This is an easy way to get a glimpse of what it can look like without having to do any heavy-lifting.

the power of colour

We all have colours that we like and dislike. But did you know that colours can actually affect how we feel? They can make us feel calm, excited and everything in between. The colour of a room not only sets the tone for how we interact with each other, but it also affects how we feel when we come home.

Colours can be broken down into three different mood-setting categories:

1. Active colours are on the warm side of the colour spectrum and include reds, oranges and yellows. They are advancing colours, meaning they meet us head on. They inspire us, stimulate us and make us feel like taking action. These colours are a great for rooms where family and friends gather, such as dining rooms, kitchens, living rooms and entryways.
2. Passive colours are the cool ones – the blues, greens and purples. If you are feeling stressed out, anxious or worried, these colours will soothe you, much like the smell of lavender at a spa. They are calming and restorative, and a great choice for your bathroom, bedroom and master suite.
3. Neutral colours are the many shades of white, black, charcoal, brown and beige. These colours are neither active nor passive. They are the workhorses of the colour wheel and will cooperate with whatever accent you choose. Use them as an overall theme or as the basis for your wood tones and architectural finishes. The darker the neutral, the more toned down your accent colours will appear, and vice versa.

your floor is your canvas

When it comes to picking a carpet, most people choose to play it safe. They pick a carpet that is neutral in colour and can stand the test of time. It’s a smart choice in many ways. There’s no need to worry about it going out of style, and it will complement most other home decorating choices – artwork, furniture, fabric and wall colour.

That said, most people don’t have a lot of colourful belongings to spark up their neutral shades. Their carpet blends in with the room and everything in it. Not very inspiring.

When choosing a carpet, first decide whether you are going to use your carpet as your backdrop or your star. If you are using it as a backdrop, make sure to cast something else as the star. This could be colourful curtains, an interesting rug or a sofa that makes a statement.

If you want to be adventurous, or have a theme in mind for your room, consider a colourful carpet. You can then coordinate your furniture and build your room around your selection.

If you have a hard time deciding which way to go, you can always get the best of both worlds: a neutral, low-profile wall-to-wall carpet topped off with a colourful patterned area rug!

beautiful inside and out: how to make more of
your living space

Whether you've downsized to a new place or simply want to do more with the space you've got, taking advantage of an outside area can be a great way to extend your usable living space.

Porches and patios - covered or open, large or small - can provide all kinds of practical benefits. They're visually pleasing when viewed from the inside living space, and they can provide an extra area for lounging, dining and family time. From the tiniest townhouse patio to the grandest of sprawling gardens, all outdoor spaces offer plenty of possibilities to explore.

Choosing your priorities
If you live in a colder climate, there are two things you may want to consider: First, think about how you and your family would like to use the outside space when it's warm. Secondly, imagine what you'd like to see through your frosted window in the wintertime - a bare deciduous tree, perhaps? Those lucky ones among us who enjoy warmer weather year-round might consider a water feature, such as a fountain, or even a rug to create an "outside interior."

• Create comfort - Every home deserves a personal retreat for relaxation.
• Choose a focal point - Use texture or varying heights to create a visual point of interest.
• Embrace colour - Use a bright scheme or a one-colour/monochromatic scheme to keep things visually unified.
• Think green - Incorporating sustainable products gives you yet another reason to feel great about your new space!

it's all about you – finding your personal style

Understanding what we like and don't like should be obvious and here is where we start to zero in on our personal style. Often, however, we are not always the only person in the equation and if you have a family, considering their needs and what they enjoy is probably important to you as well. Therefore it is not always about you, more likely it is up to you to create a great home.

So what do you and your family like and do?

• What do you collect?
• Where do you travel?
• What are your hobbies?
• How do you interact with your family and others?

Your home is a reflection of you and your family…take time to understand who you are and you will get pleasure from your most valuable investment!