Posts Tagged ‘design’

Here’s a list of ideas to make your place look great this summer for the festive season:

1 Wallpaper is hip. Everything old is new again and a quick, neat way to brighten up a wall or even just a strip of wall is to get on to the new generation of wallpaper design. Retro shops often have pristine rolls of old paper too, boasting those sunny oranges, greens and yellows. Don’t be afraid: this is a great way to make a small wall interesting, and if you tire of it, peel it off and paint.

2 Paint, paint, paint. Speaking of paint, get out and have a look at the kaleidoscope of colours on offer, from ginseng to mountain fire. Sure, the names don’t bear much relation to the colours but this is a quick, cheap way to brighten up a room, wall or just a bit of window trim.

3 Colourful glass bottles. These are a great idea to bring a bit of life into a home. Get an instant stained-glass effect by positioning two or three different colours near a natural light source. Don’t use them as vases; they look better when the light can shine through unencumbered.

4 Clean out the shed. Not only will you get kudos from significant others for finally doing something in that black hole, you might just find something in there worth reclaiming - an old chair, plant stand or simple timber box might be cleaned up and become a cool interior feature.

5 Tablescaping. A slightly grand appellation for the meeting of interior design and craft. Use a table (or any flat surface) to create a tableau or simple display using flowers, knick-knacks or fabrics. A current American craze.

6 Handle it. Make over a kitchen or a bathroom with something as simple as changing the door handles. You can go for bling at designer shops or check out the local hardware stores for a more economical selection.

7 One giant green leaf. While it might seem as if everything is withering and brown in your garden, you’ll always be able to find some hearty old souls still shining verdantly. Pluck them out (large palm, monstera, lily leaves) and pop a couple in a large vase to create a cool, serene feature, particularly soothing in summer against a crisp white wall.

8 Get rid of the stuff. Summer is a time to enjoy your home so let the light in. Look at peeling the kids’ pictures off the fridge and storing them. Take away the bits and pieces that accumulate around windows and near doors as these can block the flow of light through the home. If you have a little unused corner consider installing a small desk with drawers to stash bills, paperwork and miscellaneous items.

9 Rearrange. It’s hot outside, baseliners are dominating the tennis, even looking at cricketers standing out in 40-plus degree heat makes you feel slightly woozy so turn off the box and start rearranging the furniture. You’ll be amazed how you can give your home a fresh new look by moving or even removing a few key pieces of furniture.

10 Herbs. Simple, beautiful and useful. A window box full of summer flavour looks great against a kitchen window and there’s nothing like the satisfaction of snipping off the basil and sprinkling it in the salad. They smell fantastic, too.

You can find the remaining 10 ideas from author Lou Sweeney of The Age, by going here: http://www.domain.com.au/Public/Article.aspx?id=1228585111557&index=NationalIndex&headline=To%20great%20effect

Mark Forytarz