When we're working with our Bibby + Brady interior clients, there are some basic tips and tricks that we use again and again. It seems many Kiwis own black leather sofas. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but they can dominate a room with their heaviness. If that is the case, cushions and throws are your best friend.
Layering throws, sheepskins and cushions will help to soften your dark sofa, as well as adding great texture.
If there was one item of furniture I would recommend you invest in and don't scrimp on, it's your sofa (and your bed). You spend a lot of time on it, so you want it to be comfy, and you want it to last. With a more expensive sofa you're paying for quality - instead of foam cushions, which will wear out more quickly, you get feather and down cushions. A cheap sofa may have a plywood frame stapled together that just won't last as long as one made from hardwood and held together with glue and dowels, or tongue-and-groove joints. Effectively you will have to replace a cheap sofa a lot quicker than a quality sofa, so my argument is that in the end you're saving money.
We often look to use a light neutral coloured sofa in our interiors. If you do invest in a quality sofa, a neutral colour will not date and works with so many different looks. A new selection of cushions will transform it when you're ready for a change.
But, of course, we do love our colour at Bibby + Brady. This stunning soft pink sofa with wooden buttons is a winner. It's still quite a neutral tone, adding lovely warmth, and would work in a quiet Scandi room just as well as a more colourful space. It's also available in grey if you prefer.
If you do want to be a bit more dramatic and sophisticated, you can't go past this divine blue velvet sofa with elegant brass legs. It's a darker colour, but the velvet fabric means it's softer than leather. All four of these sofas are available to purchase through us at Bibby + Brady, contact me for more details.
Another of our favourite tips is to take your curtains right up to the ceiling. It will create the illusion of height, and will add instant sophistication.
Often people will hang their curtains just above the window, but you can see from the pic below what a difference it can make hanging them as high as possible. It's an optical illusion, the window on the right looks bigger when in fact they are both the same size. As well as the height, make sure your tracks are wide enough so that when you pull the curtains back you're getting maximum light. This also makes your window look larger, and we all love natural light in our homes.
My final tip for this post has to be about vignettes - my favourite thing in the home. A good vignette will tell a story, as well as make a room look beautifully styled, lived in and loved. The most basic thing to know when you're creating a vignette is to use different heights, shapes and textures.
Lamps, flowers and foliage are great for adding height to your vignette. Books are brilliant for grounding smaller objects. As well as books and vases, use more unusual or quirky pieces to express your personality - a camera, a spool of cotton... whatever makes you happy.
Don't just layer from the base upwards, you should also layer from front to back to add depth. Artwork hung or propped up on the wall behind is the best way to do this. Nature always adds amazing life and texture to a display. Sometimes the most beautiful is the most simple, like some branches in a jar.
Remember the space underneath. If it's a console table you can place a basket or a small stool below it. Some side tables have a lower shelf great for a stack of books topped with a bowl or dish. I love the repetition of orange in this vignette (below), it draws your eye up and down over the entire scene.
These are just three tips to help create a stylish home, there are many more. If you want help with your home or workspace, we're here for you. You can send us photos of the area/s you want our advice and we can put together individual tips and tricks especially for you. Of course we can also help you source and purchase the perfect pieces for your home too, be it furniture, fabric, art or homewares. Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.
I have a soft spot for small spaces and I actually think it can be a great way to live as you're forced to eliminate clutter and have only what you need and love around you. If you've seen any of my "Nook of the Month" columns in Your Home & Garden magazine, you'll already have picked up some great decorating tips, but I've selected some of my favourite methods for working with small spaces...
Utilise as much vertical space as possible. Built-in bookshelves are fantastic for storage and display purposes, and take up very little floor space. Hooks and wall-mounted shelves are a clever storage tool also.
Furniture that is off the ground and has light, elegant legs suits a smaller room. I would advise against solid, heavy pieces. If you can, knock out walls and have a larger open plan space, rather than two smaller rooms. Then use rugs to differentiate areas - they are the perfect zoning tool. A low hung light over a dining table also anchors the table in place.
Take it one step further with your furniture by using Lucite or transparent pieces, they take up very little visual space. Mirrors are your best friend when it comes to decorating a small space. They reflect light and brighten a room and create an illusion of space.
Furniture that is multi-functional is brilliant! Add a bench seat to your built-in bookshelf for a cosy reading nook; or add a chair and turn one shelf into a work space. Don't forget that space under your bench seat - maximise the space by using it for storage, either open or enclosed.
Don't feel like you need to have small art in your small space. To the contrary... a large piece of art and a large rug will help fool the eye into thinking the room is bigger than it is.
I always like to have floor to ceiling curtains wherever possible. They look elegant and add height to a room. The more natural light you can have, the more spacious it will feel.
We Kiwis love our outdoor living, and by blurring the lines between outside and in will greatly increase the sense of space in your home.
So, don't you agree that living small has many benefits?! They're more economical to build and to maintain, and they encourage us keep (and acquire) possessions that really matter and really work. If you're having any trouble with your space, or would like help to maximise it's potential, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
A huge part of my and Dael's job as interior stylists is helping clients to choose paint colours, fabric and furniture for their homes and work places. Sometimes a client simply wants us to help them select the right paint colour for their living room walls, or choose a fabric for their bedroom curtains.
We are more than happy to help you put together a colour palette that will work in your home, and we also offer a curtain, blind and cushion making service. With an extensive range of fabrics available to us, there will definitely be something that is just perfect for you. Don't feel you have to live in Hawke's Bay either to use our curtain and blind making service... If you do, we can measure up and install for you, but we've also had curtains and blinds made and shipped to clients outside of Hawke's Bay with great success.
Of course, furniture and accessories are so important in creating an amazing space, so it's lucky that we have an amazing range of suppliers that can help. Just let us know what you're looking for and you can relax while we do all the sourcing for you.
Whether it's a full interior design service you need, or just a roman blind made, we can help, and we promise to only offer you beautiful and stylish options!
On Friday I posted a living room that Dael & I designed recently for our super cool client, Fi. Today I bring you her dining room. As I mentioned on Friday, the home has amazing bones, but you can see that the red walls combined with all that wood was too overpowering. Some people believe that red stimulates the appetite, hence this is not the first red dining room I've come across. But it's also one of the darkest rooms in this house, so we chose to lighten it with one of our favourite whites - a gentle, fleecy off-white which is lovely with wood tones.
Like me, Fi loves a touch of Bohemia, so we gave her dining room a glamorous ethnic feel.
As is often the case, creating the look doesn't happen instantly. Clients usually purchase their favourite or most needed pieces first. Fi's round table is great, but we felt in this room a rectangular shape would work well. For now her current table still looks fab, and our fave upholsterer, Asha from Little & Fox, covered the chairs in a gorgeous velvet.
Fi has bought one of the amazing brass chandeliers for above the table, it's just waiting to be installed (long story!). We're also still looking for the perfect art piece for above the fireplace, so for now one of Dael's is standing in.
When we work with our Bibby + Brady clients it's very important to us that the interiors we design reflect their owner/s, and I think this is a great representation of Fi - glamorous, worldly, free-spirited and cool! It also has to be functional, and although it's located next to the kitchen, we provided her with additional storage for her glasses, dinnerware etc, and a cute bar cart for when her friends pop over.
We all love the roman blinds we had made from the most beautiful fabric. We have the most brilliant curtain and blind maker, and a huge range of fabrics available to us (just in case you need new curtains and blinds at your place). If you live locally we can also have them installed for you, but we've worked with clients from outside of Hawke's Bay, and have had their curtains shipped to them all made and ready to hang themselves (or by their chosen professional). Don't hesitate to contact Dael or I if you'd like any help with your interiors - both residential or commercial.
