We’re swooning over the newest shipment of stunning Kate Spade elegant home-ware items available at Croft & Co in Parkview, Johannesburg. Designed for women who have a taste for luxury and the high-life, the Kate Spade brand is world-renowned for its playful sophistication combined with urban practicality.

“Kate Spade is tremendously popular with women around the world, as it is a brand which blends style with utility,” explains Grant Ravenscroft, founder and owner of Croft & Co. “Our new stock of Kate Spade wallets and home-ware items will make very unique gifts for friends or partners, especially as this is the only place in SA where you can find them.”

 The home-ware items include a variety of exquisite frames, vases and bowls. The current stock also includes the popular ‘Lacey’ zip around continental wallets in black, pink and purple hues.

Call Grant on 084 840 1649 or visit Croft & Co.

By Mari Sciarappa, Photography Nic Baleta

This lavish northern suburban home was built from the ground up by a Portuguese family that places great value and emphasis on open-plan living as well as entertainment. Since they appreciate the outdoors so greatly, the very foundation of the home was created to enhance the time that this family spends outside.

The house was styled using a colonial theme. The home had to be functional as an entertainment area, while also ensuring the outdoor section is spacious and easily accessible.

Therefore most applications in the home had to suit this theme. These included the oval-shaped lounge, affectionately referred to as the “oval office” by the home owners. To that end the furniture, like the couch and coffee table, had to have an oval bend to accommodate the shape of the room. This resulted in a very appealing and unique aesthetic.

The home also has a very grand entrance, different from most on the market. Other impressive aspects include the high ceilings, built-in cellars in the dining room and the indoor and outdoor showers. Interior designer Helder de Lima, of de Lima Interiors, notes: “Even though it is an opulent house, it is also homey. It’s not a showpiece; you can really live in it.”

We’re so excited about our first home of the month online video. In Building the dream we explore an exquisite home located in an eco-estate. Each detail of the home was perfectly planned, revised, adapted and perfected to ensure every crevice of the abode was to its owners specifications and utmost liking.

The house is both practical and aesthetically appealing as these owners wanted a home that was beautiful yet also functional for their everyday needs and therefore designed their home from outside in themselves.

Enjoy!

Can’t view this video in your browser? Watch it on YouTube.

The interior design of a room is no longer restricted to the wall colour, accents and furniture – today you can make a real impact by installing beautiful interior doors in your home. Says Charl Jacobz from Swartland Wooden Windows and Doors. Says Charl: “Interior doors no longer have to be merely functional and boring – in fact today, consumers are looking for doors that stand out from the rest as a feature in their own right.” He provides the following top trends in interior doors today:

Going organic: The influence of nature in design and architecture has never been stronger – a trend that is clearly reflected in the choice of natural looking finishes being used in abundance throughout homes today. Solid timber finishes are at an all-time high due to the organically inspired aesthetic they imbue, and solid wood doors are no exception. The natural knots and grain of a wood finish can add great character and life to wooden doors – a character that certainly has mass appeal.

The use of glass: Modern doors seem to include increasingly more glass in their designs – from clear glass, to opaque glass and even decorative coloured glass or stained glass inserts or panels for a more traditional look. Doors with oversized glass inserts have never been more popular for their classic styling and the extra light they transmit. Part of the popularity of glass in doors is due to the improved insulation qualities of the glass being used. Doors with glass often used to mean problematic leaks and drafts, however, this has all changed now – today’s doors boast double-glazed insulation and glass excellent insulation qualities. For spaces where privacy is an issue, obscured glass can be used so light can still come through.

Oversized doors: Volume is another key trend in today’s doors – architects and builders seem to be expanding the height and width of doorways to create a more dramatic effect. No longer simply a door – a door system in the living area for example, might include a single door or pair of doors, sidelights and transom to create an impressive focal point. Oversized doors are also bang on trend – Swartland for example offers a range of oversized doors that can be bought off-shelf, or they can custom-make doors to suit your individual preferences and specifications for a signature look that reflects its own unique character.

Environmentally friendly doors: There has been a huge surge in consumer demand for green building products – a trend that Swartland takes very seriously. For example, Swartland uses a process of cold glue pressing when manufacturing plain hollow core doors, as opposed to a process of heat fusion, as well as using timber from renewable sources. They also kiln-dry their timber so that it has an 8% moisture content – this ensures that the wood is in perfect balance with local atmospheric conditions, thereby stabilising the timber and minimising movement or warping to ensure maximum durability and longevity.

So the closer we come to finishing the more stressful it’s all getting. And one thing I’ve noticed with building is that nobody has respect for each other’s work – it drives me insane. The electrician will just grind into the newly plastered walls, while the plasterer will mess all over the painted walls, and it goes on and on… OK – vent over!

And then there was light

Johan and I have a thing for lights. So we got creative with the lights in the open plan living area.  We went shopping for lights in an automotive hardware store. Right about now, I’m sure you think we have officially lost it.  What do you think of our creation?

And to switch our lights on, we bought Victorian reproduction light switches. I started collecting the original switches, but unfortunately learnt later that they can’t be used as they are not earthed, which was shocking news to me.

Flooring

The highlight this week has to be the installation of our floors. This was a decision we didn’t take lightly. A floor to me is so important as it can make or break a room; it also sets the scene and mood for the entire space.

We eventually decided on a coloured cement product in white installed by Conceptcrete.  It’s taken 4 days to do, and everybody was banished from site for fear of making dust or walking on the floors. Rather safe than sorry. With my view from the garage doorway, I love how it’s looking so far. I can’t wait for it to be ready and sealed so I can just run across and enjoy it. We did the whole house except the bedrooms, which gives a great flow through the space.

In the 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms we went for a solid vinyl wood plank floor in a dark grey colour, which is quite new to the market. We’re so happy with how this turned out too, as it was quite a risky choice for the bedrooms. But I’m envisioning large rugs scattered over the floors throughout the house. What I just love about this product is that at long last you can have a ‘wooden floor’ in your bathroom without worrying about it getting wet.

A splash of paint

We have finally prepped, primed and painted the containers! We went for Plascon’s Smokey Grey.  The containers look completely different now, much more a part of the house. It’s so exciting to see how the design is all coming together. Now just to decide on the colours for the rest of the house.  I have painted large pieces of cardboard with the different choices instead of painting it directly on the walls, something my Dad taught me. It works so much better, you can walk all around the house and put the colour up against the wall to see the effect in different parts of the house. This is important because depending on the time of day the colour can look totally different.

I’m so excited as a huge box with my lights has just arrived. Can’t wait to open it! Check back next week to see what it looks like.

Watch out for Sacha’s next post on 27 February.

With home owners still feeling the economic pinch, many are tackling improvement projects instead of moving. The bathroom is one of the most popular rooms for renovations and is also one of the first rooms scrutinised by potential buyers.

This year sees some bold trends influencing bathroom design, but not all trends are a wise investment. Here are some of the key décor trends for 2012 with practical advice to incorporate certain elements without breaking the bank.

Bathrooms:

Neutral colours remain a firm favourite for the bathroom. The majority of bathrooms are currently decorated with tiles and accessories in natural stone shades that create a calming atmosphere in this room dedicated to relaxation. A subdued colour palette is right on trend and with colours such as murky greys and muddy greens, it sits comfortably with stone colours in the bathroom.

Black is making a bold design statement in the bathroom, from scattered mosaics to all-black feature walls. “For those who can’t quite see themselves entirely surrounded by black, the sensible use of silver, soft pewter, matt and gloss white are all ways of introducing a lighter touch,” says Kate van Niekerk, marketing manager for Tile Africa.

Pantone named Tangerine Tango, an energetic reddish orange, as the colour of the year for 2012. If you are looking for something bold and exclusive, a zesty orange mosaic feature wall might be the perfect fit for your bathroom. Vivid mosaic tiles create a dramatic effect if used as a solid block of colour behind the bath and vanity or in the shower. “If you’re not brave or flamboyant enough for an orange feature wall, try adding mosaics as an edging or border to deliver a quick colour punch,” she says. 

Wet rooms are gaining popularity and transforming the bathroom from a practical room into a spacious area for the ultimate shower experience. With wet rooms, the shower is no longer contained in a cubicle with a shower tray, but spans the whole room and water drains away through one drainage hole. “The shower is the focal point of a wet room, therefore consider investing in an over-sized shower head and contemporary mixer set,” says van Niekerk.

Careful planning is necessary to ensure that this room fulfils its function. Make sure that the walls are properly waterproofed before you start tiling. Leaking water can cause serious damage to the walls and damp can affect adjacent rooms. To prevent water from pooling, slope the floor slightly.

As a wet room’s shower no longer consists of a glass enclosure, remember to fit towel rails within easy reach of the area now reserved for the shower, but not to close as towels can get wet. The basin and toilet completes the wet room layout. 

For more information on Tile Africa contact their toll-free number 0800 002 783 or visit www.tileafrica.co.za. Find Tile Africa on Twitter and Facebook for more creative ideas for your bathroom and kitchen.

By Justine Olivier

Statistics show that in today’s fast-paced world dinner is the most important meal of the day (breakfast aside) – and this isn’t just for health reasons. Breakfast is often a rushed event, and lunches are most often spent apart (for obvious work and/or school arrangements).

Dinner, however, is the time of the day when family should slow down and gather together to form close-knit bonds by conversing about the day’s events and other topics of conversation. It is interesting to note that even in medieval times, and up until the 18th century, dining together was considered so important that an entire level in the home was dedicated to this purpose.

In today’s world, even dinner is rushed with everyone too busy with their own lives to slow down to sit and be sociable, but creating a dedicated dining area, one that evokes the right ambience, may be just what you need in order to slow the pace down in your household and bring dinner back to the dining area.

Sheila Dovey, of St Leger and Viney, says that an open-plan styled kitchen with an incorporated dining area is the way forward. However, if a home does feature a separate dining room it offers the opportunity to be hugely expressive in a way that other rooms do not. With the house of today becoming more open-plan in design, the question may arise as to whether there really is a need for a dedicated dining area. As the lounge, kitchen and dining room often merge into one public space, with each area being distinguishable and defined solely by the placement of the different furnishings, the kitchen often doubles up as an eating area.

While this serves a dual purpose, dining in an area other than where food is prepared brings with it an ambience of its own. However, Andrea Assirelli, of Assirelli Italian Design, points out that having your dining room incorporated into your kitchen space allows for you to prepare meals while entertaining guests at the same time. Sheila adds that if your main public areas are open-plan in design and you wish to have a separate space specifically for dining, then it is a good idea to use rugs to define the area. A large practical rug works to anchor a table in its space.

Whatever size the space of your room or open-plan design is there is always an area where you can set up a dedicated dining spot (even if it’s in the kitchen).

Marius van der Merwe, of M Interiors, explains: “There are several ways of setting up a designated dining area even if space is an issue. A good place to start is the kitchen. If space allows then a small bistro table and a pair of chairs would create an intimate space to enjoy meals or make use of a breakfast bar. Alternatively, a cosy table set up in a corner of your lounge or even outside on your balcony is also a great way to incorporate a dining area into a small space.” A dining room is more than just a table and chairs. Therefore everything in this room or area plays a pivotal role, so try not to use this area as extra storage space, or only for special occasions.

“All dinner times should be a special occasion,” says Carrol Boyes, of Carrol Boyes. Make this room one filled with memories of great times together, and good food. Evoking the correct ambience will significantly add to these memories.
Don’t overlook the importance that the correct colour combination can have in this area, be it on the walls, furnishings or fabric. Colours have the tendency to evoke conversation. “Warm colours like red, terracotta and orange are social colours; they create a wonderful atmosphere, are warm and welcoming and stimulate the appetite and enhance conversation, so they are great for entertaining.

Deep red and burgundy are gorgeous in a dining room and give an opulent, dramatic effect,” explains Anne Roselt, of Plascon.

Table size is also a pivotal factor. If you are the type who loves entertaining, then choose a size that can accommodate everyone – you don’t want to add extra chairs from elsewhere, which will only allow for the room to become more cluttered. Experts suggest that a round table is perfect for conversation while also softening a box-shaped room. “A dining room works well when symmetry is achieved, particularly with a rectangular table. It is vital that there is enough room to move around the table and that there are areas for serving both food and drinks within easy reach,” adds Sheila.

The need for an allocated dining space need not be confined to the interior of the home. A great alternative (especially with the gorgeous southern hemisphere weather) is to dine outside. As mentioned above, everything adds to the ambience so ensure that furnishings are maintained and do not get damaged due to climate conditions.

“If your kitchen and dining area open onto a verandah or outdoor space then the placement of furniture is important to create an unobstructed flow from inside to out,” says Andrea.

Whichever way you look at it, a dedicated dining area is a definite must, whether if it’s inside or outside. Creating an appealing dining area will make meal times far more enjoyable and social on the whole.

Terrace Living, leading manufacturers and providers of exclusive handcrafted outdoor furniture, gives you the chance to win a set of flower pots in a stylish dark brown colour to the total value of R3 500.

The hand woven on aluminium framed flower pots, one large and one medium, will bring a unique decorative effect to your outdoor area. The flower pots are supplied with inner shelf for placing pot plants and the bottom section of the pot can be weighted with a sandbag for stability in high wind areas. The flower pots are also completely weather proof, making it perfect for outdoor use.

For more information on Terrace Living, please visit their website, Facebook page or call 021 461 3552 / 011 462 0765.

To enter the giveaway:

Tell us why you would like to win the Terrace Living flower pots in the comments section below.

Closing date: 14 March 2012

Udo Fesenmeier, partner of WSI Designs, is passionate about kitchens. He believes that a new kitchen can dramatically change the look and feel of a home and add a tremendous amount of value to the total value of your home. Here, he shares with us his thoughts on 2012 kitchens trends, what to consider when planning a kitchen as well as other handy tips.

1. Your thoughts on 2012 kitchen trends…

High-gloss kitchens are definitely very popular, latté, white, black and bright reds are also “in”. Reconstructed wood grains combined with gloss panels are a firm favorite and thick built up caesarstone cleverly matched is very trendy. Chocolate brown kitchens are still popular in many homes.

2. What to consider when planning a kitchen

- Determine what style of kitchen appeals to you. Do you like a modern contemporary design or is your taste more classical or even country style?
- Consider the hidden costs (i.e. removing your old kitchen, breaking walls, plumbing and electrical costs, breaking down walls and chopping out old floor tiles are just a few).
- Determine your budget. Costs can be basically broken up into sections i.e. prep work, actual cabinets and doors, appliances, taps and sinks, tops and wall finishes.
- Find out if there are cheaper ways to create the look you’re after.

3. Top tips for keeping your kitchen open and organised…

Open-plan designs allow light to filter into the kitchen and create a great spacious feeling that most people want in their homes. By removing a few walls and making changes to ceilings it is a look that is easy to achieve. Clever internal organising systems can be incorporated into cabinets, and drawers with organising systems are great as they allow for easy access to pots, cutlery, utensils and containers and so forth.

4. How to add “eco-chic” to your kitchen…

“Eco-chic” is the “buzzword” for 2012 as we are becoming more and more aware of the importance of creating objects of desire in a responsible manner and using eco-friendly, recyclable or recycled materials. All WSI Designs kitchens are produced responsibly, using materials that have been harvested from renewable materials – be it from managed sustainable forests or by using man-made tops such as caesarstone, panels made from bamboo and paints that are less harsh to the environment. Remember to ask your expert kitchen company which materials are eco-friendly and whether they source their products from responsible suppliers.

Visit WSI Designs

Come Valentine’s Day, most of us stock up our interiors with a little romance – be it red scatter cushions and throws, or bold vases of delicious red roses; candles and chocolates, or champagne and Beluga. Throwing love into your interiors shouldn’t be a one-day fiesta, but rather creating a room that will exude warmth and romance for a long time to come. I believe that creating a romantic room lies in 4 key areas.
 
1. Textures. Romance is whispers of soft, delicate fabrics, like plush throws for your bed, whispy curtains over your windows with velvet tie-backs, as far as a thick-pile rug in warm colours.

2. Lighting. Warm, soft lighting is a must for a romantic room. Make sure that you have enough lighting for the room’s purpose (e.g. a lounge would require more lighting than a bedroom). Or go a bit more classic with candle clusters in different heights, or a variation of candelabra.

3. Colour. This is a very individual factor, as people respond differently to different colour combinations. Muted colours, with soft rosy pinks or other pastels pair well with delicate artwork to created gentle romance in a room; while a more intense romantic ambience can be created by deeper, richer colours like reds, sapphires and metallics (just be careful not to assimilate too great a colour combination as this could make the room look and feel heavy, and smaller than it is).

4. Fragrance. A light and breezy fragrance adds an ambience of its own to a room. Try scented candles, bouquets of sweet flowers, or a diffuser – the latter works extremely well, and lasts a long time (just be sure to turn the little sticks around every now and again to inject fresh fragrance into the air).
 
A romantic interior serves many purposes. It softens the often more clean, clear-but lines of the contemporary home; creates a welcoming room that eases guests comfortably into your home; or in the case of the bedroom and bathroom, offers a gentle sanctuary from day to day living.

[signature:kerry]