“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Furniture
Emerging Trend?
Have you noticed a profusion of African inspired decor lately?
Bold patterns and colours give that African feel
I know, it’s always been around but of late there seems to be a bit more of it and in all sorts of items. I don’t think we’re heading down the path of decorating a complete room in African style but more touches here and there. What do you think?
All the elements that make up African Style decor
Perhaps it’s our climate and love of the outdoors that resonates so well with the African Safari Style which is then translated into our decor. There’s also a big push back to handmade items which any ethnic culture has valued for years. And African style is more simplistic which balances our love of technology and helps create a soothing, relaxing space.
African Style Corner
Much of the strength of African Style emerges through texture. Natural fibres of Jute, sisal and seagrass are used for flooring while banana fibre and papyrus are used in woven baskets.
African Woven Basket
Rapee have recently released a range of cushions in bright colours and rich textures which would give an African lift to your room.
African Inspired cushions and throws from Rapee
Lighting is warm and golden, utilizing rustic iron candelabra and wall sconces. Table lamps incorporate palm or pineapple motifs in their bases, whilst unique shades made from feathers or quills convey the safari ambiance.
Lamp Base with Pineapple Detail
Furniture features rich timbers with stylised accents or folding furniture which would be used on Safari.
Campaign Desk
These gorgeous pieces are based on the campaign furniture used on Safari and are available from one of our suppliers here in Australia.
African Campaign Chest that doubles as a bar
Comfort is foremost in an African decor, with an overall effect of effortless luxury, a sense of adventure, but always relaxed and in harmony with nature.
Brightly Coloured Juju Hats
If African Style would suit your home, you may be interested in reading Safari Style by Natasha Burns or contact us for assistance sourcing your items.
Australian Italian Furniture
The new carver to match existing dining chairs
I recently attended the launch of the new collection from Casa Mia. I have been specifying Casa Mia products for years and love their elegant shapes.
The bedside chest of drawers has lots of matching pieces
It is a family owned business and has been operating for over 30 years. The furniture is imported from Italy in it’s raw state and then stained and upholstered in the factory here in Sydney. Originally the furniture was classic but in recent times there has been a shift to a more contemporary look.
A modern twist on this classic shape
With loads of colour options including custom colours and numerous choices in handles and other decorative elements, there is a piece of furniture for everyone.
Detailed Upholstery
The furniture is on display in Paddington and the showroom was looking sensational for the launch.
Blue and white furniture, ceramics and fabrics
Even the dog was excited!
Happy Dog
If you would like new furniture for your home, contact us and we will source the perfect items for you.
Re-Love Project
Well I’ve finally finished giving some love to my 1980′s pine television cabinet.
After sanding, staining, top coating and a little bit of upholstering, the item is complete.
As an Interior Decorator working mostly with families, my plan was to create a piece that would suit a family home. Storage is always a sought after commodity with a growing family, so a piece of furniture that could be used as storage, look good and also be used as a seat would be a great asset.
This little piece would be equally at home in a child’s bedroom, family room or entry.
Now it’s your turn to help the Salvos Stores. As from 9 May, you can bid on this piece and the other pieces of furniture that are being Re-loved by designers across the country.
Check out the pieces here and keep an eye out for the opening of the bidding.
A big thank you to Feast Watson for inviting me to participate in this project.
If you would like assistance sourcing storage furniture for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Re-loving
Do you remember I featured this little TV cabinet on my blog a month or so ago? I’m re-loving it as part of the Feast Watson Re-love Project.
TV Cabinet Before
The first step was to remove the doors, broken back panel and castors and then give it a good sand. Now I’m not a big DIYer so took some advice from the expert (aka my husband). I tried the electric sander but didn’t seem to get very far. It was a bit big to get into the shelves and didn’t seem to be hard enough.
Orbital Sander
So out came the little iron sander and all that horrible orange varnish from the 80′s turned to dust.
Smaller Iron Sander
Next was mixing up the liming solution. The beauty with the liming solution is you can create custom colours by adding a little or alot of the Proof Tint.
Feast Watson Liming Solution and Proof Tint
I wanted a gender neutral colour so used a little of the black and alot of the yellow to create a fresh, happy colour.
Custom Mixed Liming Solution
A brush and a rag were used next. I applied the solution with the brush and then wiped it off with a rag. The longer you leave the colour on the item the more intense it is.
Solution Applied
Now I just need to give it a top coat, add an upholstered seat and a couple of legs and she’s ready.
Solution wiped off
Don’t forget you can check out the other items in the project on the website. And in just over a month you can join the auction fun and grab yourself one of these restored pieces and help raise funds for Salvos Stores.
Have you renovated a piece of furniture before?
Do you have the X factor?
I keep on seeing it over and over again – the X factor for interiors.
Bathroom Vanity detailing
Bedroom stools
X factor is a variable that could have most significant outcome, a special talent or quality or something unexplainable that adds value.
Double XX on the back of the chairs
X-collection chairs
You can add some X factor to your home by incorporating the X shape in your furniture or cabinetry.
Jonathan Adler X Bench
Kitchen cabinetry detailing
It’s a strong statement, that little X. Two lines intersecting in perfect symmetry adding strength and detail to an otherwise very ordinary item.
Formal dining table with the X factor
Kitchen barstools
All images can be found on my Pinterest boards.
If you would like assistance adding the X Factor to your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation or send us your furniture sourcing requests.
Re-cycle, Re-use, Re-love
If you were born before the year 2000 then it’s highly likely you have seen one of these. Perhaps you had one or your parents had one. It’s a pine TV unit. These were the “must have” furniture piece to house the video recorder and tapes and the big fat TV sat on top.
Now you’re probably wondering why I am showing you this beautiful specimen, circa 1980. Well I’ve taken on the challenge to remodel this little unit into something else. It’s called the Re-Love project and along with 8 other designers, various pieces of timber furniture will be transformed into something more appealing for today’s market. Feast Watson are providing the necessary timber care products and on 9 May bidding will open on these wonderful new creations. All monies raised will go The Salvos Stores.
So I have a bit of work to do over the next 10 weeks. It will be fun to see the transformation of the 9 pieces of furniture. You can follow our progress on the Feast Watson Pinterest page. And of course, you can also bid on one of the finished pieces. 
You just mind find a piece to re-love!
My Top Three From Decoration and Design
Last week I visited Decoration and Design here in Sydney. It is held each year in conjunction with the Australian International Furniture Fair and is more up my alley. All the pretty bits that make a house a home are featured in this area of the show. Things like artworks, rugs, fabrics and homewares. So I am keen to wander up and down the aisles looking for something new or different.
Removable Wallpaper
This year I found a number of things. Firstly it was The Wallpaper Company. Not just any old wallpaper but REMOVABLE wallpaper. How cool is that? Fantastic for a feature wall in a colour or pattern you may be worried about. Or for teenagers’ rooms who want to assert their individuality but the parents aren’t keen to do something too permanent. And exceptionally great for those who are renting their home.
The paper is good quality and comes off without leaving any residue so can easily be cleaned or painted over. And another big benefit is that it can be installed yourself!
Rattan Butler’s Tray
Next up was a new supplier of colonial style furniture and homewares, Colonial Franz. It’s always so exciting finding a new supplier and seeing what they have that’s different from everyone else. Colonial Franz has a lovely range of rattan and timber furniture as well as glass and ceramic homewares suitable for a Hamptons or Colonial style home or room.
Occasional Colonial Chair
Timber chairs with rattan backs, hurricane lights and ceramic jugs are just a few of their extensive collection. I’m sure we will be able to use their products in some of our designs as they have clean lines yet a comfortable and inviting look to them.
Anastasia Armchair
Then it was cane. Now I’m not usually a cane lover. Think I spent too many holidays in poorly furnished apartments on the Gold Coast. However, it is having a revival. And when there’s a revival it usually means it has been tweaked and twisted a little to suit current times.
Lyrebird Bedhead
Lincoln Brooks has a wide range of cane, rattan and wicker furniture pieces ranging from exotic lyrebird bedheads to asian inspired occasional chairs and french bistro chairs any of which I’d be pleased to see in my own home. Many of them come in a variety of colours which ticks all the boxes for me too.
French Bistro Chair
So they were my three new finds at this year’s Decoration and Design.
If you would like assistance using any or all of these items in your home, contact us for a consultation.
Is the Dining Room Dead?
I don’t believe so! I love a dedicated dining room especially in older homes.
Back in the mid 1980′s I bought my first home in an outer Brisbane suburb. It had a combined dining and lounge room and for a few years I had a pine round table with 4 rattan and metal cantilevered chairs as the dining table. Then one day, one of my colleagues at work asked out loud if anyone was interested in a Rosenstengel dining suite. He had been appointed Executor of a Monseigneur’s Estate and apparently there was a silky oak dining table and 6 chairs to offload. The asking price was $200. With all my income going in to my house repayments I said, “No”. Besides I didn’t want some old table and what was Rosenstengel anyway?
Rosenstengel Dining Suite
I was telling my Mum about it a few days later and she said, “Grab it.” She knew all about Ed Rosenstengel and his furniture making and knew it would be a great buy as well as owning a piece of Queensland history. So I purchased the table and it is still serving me to this day. Although right now it’s in storage as we renovate our home.
When I moved to the Gold Coast in the ’90′s I decided to have the dining suite refurbished. A furniture restorer cleaned down the table and applied a new coat of shellac which gave it a rich glow. I had the chairs reupholstered in a plain pink fabric to co-ordinate with the curtains and sofa.
Dining suite after polishing and upholstery
When I moved back to Brisbane we renovated a little Workers Cottage on the northside and we created a formal dining room in the old sleep-out.
Sleep-out being transformed to the Dining Room
This time the upholstery on the chairs dictated what colour the walls would be.
Pink Dining Room
When we moved to Sydney and bought our Californian Bungalow the dining suite suited the period of the house and the existing curtains.
Inherited Dining Room
However, after a few years, I was ready to ditch the curtains and I replaced them with gold silk and repainted the walls in the warm earthy tones of the time.
New paint, curtains and light fitting
Now we are renovating, I have decided to keep the formal dining room. We’ve closed off two of the three doorways into the room and I’ve decided to be a little bit adventurous in choosing the paint colour.
Latest reincarnation of the dining room
I’m a firm believer that the formal lounge room is mainly used at night time so why not make it dramatic? But alas the existing upholstery will not suit the new look room. The question is, will I keep the suite and have it reupholstered, or is it time for a complete new dining suite?
Dramatic dining room
Do you have a formal dining room or a dining suite with provenance?
If you would like assistance choosing colour or furniture for your dining room, contact us for an online or in-person consultation. Or visit my Pinterest board for Dining Room inspiration.
Making a List, checking it twice
Have you made your list? I’m a big list maker and have them on everywhere. But at this time of year it’s the gift list I’m checking. That means two lists – one is my gift “wish” list and the other is the list of friends and family for whom I will buy a gift.
So it’s music to my ears, (or words to my eyes) when I receive notification of sales and reductions. I thought you might want to check these out too.
First is Space Furniture. They are holding an End Of Year Sale with 25% off brands like Moooi, B&B Italia, Kartell and Zanotta. Sale starts Monday 3 December.
Kartell Lamps
Next up is Miss Jones Christmas Warehouse Sale. Samples and End of Line items are up to 85% off with prices starting at $5. Now there will be some great Secret Santa gifts there, I’m sure. Sale is at Factory 9, 80 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria from 6 – 8 December.
Have You Seen Miss Jones Ceramics
And the clever people at Project 82 have opened a Christmas Pop Up Shop. If you call in on a Thursday evening, you’ll not only find some great gift ideas for you or someone else but you will also be treated to a drink and something to nibble on while you browse the wares. If you can’t make it to Surry Hills, you can shop from your own living room via their online store.
A selection from Project 82
I hope you manage to grab a bargain and tick a few things off your list, or maybe add a few things to your own list!
That’s it for November, can you believe it? This year has just flown! Hope you have a great weekend, are you putting up your tree?
If you would like assistance sourcing furniture and other items for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Not waving but drowning
No, not quite, but I have been rather consumed by everything that’s going on, so the poor old blog has been neglected. Sorry for being AWOL for a while.
Ceiling and walls painted in the family room
Our house renovations are getting to the pointy end. It’s looking so good and I just want to wiggle my nose and be in.
Daughter’s new bedroom and ceiling
My father-in-law (aka The Painter) has been here for two and half weeks and has been working non stop to get the interior of the house painted. My husband is helping on the weekends and does some prep work for him in the evenings. The colours all look great. (The one above and the one below are not the same, it just looks that way on the screen. Well it does on mine.)
Main bathroom tiled and painted
The tilers have been and tiled the bathrooms and laundry as well as the outside rear stairs and landing.
Ensuite tiled
And the floor has been put down in my new studio.
My new studio
The logistical nightmare is now upon us as we juggle all the tradies for the final two weeks. The cabinetmaker is still to bring in the laundry, kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The electrician is to return to install all the light fittings. The plumber needs to come after the tilers to plumb in the toilets and then will return after the cabinetry to do the taps and basins. Shower screens and bathroom mirrors have been measured and will be installed also after the tilers. Then when they’ve all finished we can have the floors sanded, stained and polished (I’m going for a dark floor) and finally the carpet and curtains.
Then we can bring back the furniture and household items we packed away in storage 10 months ago and move in and enjoy Christmas in our new old home.
Storage container
Besides all that I’m trying to ensure all the jobs that are in the system for clients get completed and delivered prior to 24 December.
A new dining table was delivered for one client today and we are still waiting on a new sofa.
New dining table
We’re awaiting shutters for another client and curtains and blinds for two clients.
Shutters to go in here
A bathroom is having a makeover for another client and I’m still doing colour consultations for clients about to paint over the Christmas period or have painters coming in the New Year.
Downstairs bathroom about to have a makeover
The wallpaper hanger is booked for yet another client and a sofa is being carted off today to be reupholstered.
Wall awaiting wallpaper
Fingers crossed everything goes to plan and we are all enjoying our “new” homes for the holidays.
Sofa to change from red to stone
If you would like assistance with colour and design for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
