Got the spring blues yet?

Savine wallpaper from Designers Guild.

Beat the latest - and hopefully last - spell of winter weather with some spring blues!

Pantone, the provider of colour systems, has announced "Dazzling blue" their colour of spring 2014. It's a bright blue that shimmers, and a colour that has been popular on the runways for some time.



Photo: Eclectic Society/Style.





 

Different shades of blue are certainly hot this spring. In contemporary settings we often see them mixed with black. We're also seeing more and more blue kitchens, which might seem surprising, given that the colour is associated with reduced appetite according to feng shui. Together with it's favourite team mate white, a blue kitchen certainly looks fresh and classy this season.

Photo: Houzz. Blue kitchen by Von Fitz Design.

In search of blue fabric inspiration in town, I saw some great, blue cotton and linen prints at Stewart's Decorating Centre recently. They were from Avant Garde, a brand new supplier to the store. Any of the fabrics below would make for very attractive accent pillows. At Fabricland, I also saw an interesting print, that reminded me of some of Finnish design house Marimekko's fabrics. Take a look:



  


Fabricland print.

Marimekko Tuuli print.

Marimekko birch tree print.

 

Speaking of blues, this gorgeously reupholstered chair

is looking for a new home. It is quite petite and would be a 

perfect statement chair - fun and fresh - in a nursery or a 

kid's room. You can paint the legs white if you don't like the wood.

Contact Bonell's Upholstery for more info.

 

Make room for the new year

         Keep your clutter at bay with appropriate storage.

         Organize your items by colour, it makes it more

         restful for the eye. Storage cabinet from Crate and

         Barrel.

"When in doubt, take it out!" How about that design mantra for 2013? Having too many things on our shelves, walls and on the floor drains energy. Better then to leave space for what is truly useful, beautiful and what we really love. The new year is a great time to edit our belongings. Look at it as a cleansing process that will free up space for new, positive experiences. Here are five tips on how to kick start your clutter control:

1) Go room by room and define the function of each room. Think about what you need for that specific room and get rid of everything else.

2) Old magazines and books can take up an incredible amount of shelf space. Weed out what no longer interests you. Tackle the rest a little at a time. File magazine clippings in binders organized by theme.

3) Dishes in your cupboards are like clothing in your wardrobe. If you haven't used them in the last year, you probably never will. To realize that some things simply aren't for you is quite OK. That also applies to items that were given to you. Pass them along to a thrift store. They will be somebody else's treasure.

4) Have an empty corner somewhere? Use it for extra storage. Clutter control requires a good organizational system and appropriate storage.

5) Make a promise to yourself to buy fewer things, but to buy better quality. If budget is an issue, put up a picture of the piece you are craving, and look at it regularly. It will be an incentive to save up for what you really love, and to avoid impulse purchases.

Do you agree with me that less is more when it comes to design?

Feng...what?

The translation of Feng Shui is "wind and water".

The basic principles of Feng Shui (pronounced  "fung shway”) are very useful for anybody interested in home decoration and design. This ancient Chinese philosophy explores the ways in which our surroundings affect us. Feng Shui can be made as complex or as simple as you want. We will stick with the simple approach. Ultimately, Feng Shui is about creating environments in which we feel comfortable and supported. It’s about combining dark and light, cold and warm, soft and hard in a balanced way. It is also about positioning furniture and objects in such a way that we feel safe and secure. Here are some Feng Shui DOs and DON’Ts:

DO...

... make it easy for people to find your front door. There should never be any doubt about which entrance is the main entrance. Mark a path towards the door, make it clean and beautiful and illuminate it well. 

...position beds and couches in such a way that from them you can see the door leading into the room. It this is not possible, make it so by putting up a mirror. The ideal location for couches and beds is along a wall. This gives a sense of support and safety.

... organize your office binders by colour. This gives a calm and less cluttered impression.

DON’T...

...have phones, computers and other electrical devices in your bedroom. This is your place for rest and recovery. If you have no other place for these devices, hide them in a cabinet or closet, or behind a drape.

... leave kitchen knifes and other sharp objects exposed. Store them in a drawer.

... put up shelves and heavy objects immediately above the bed.

Does Feng Shui make sense to you?