Making a little heaven in this large stressful world is achievable only if the making of the home expresses comfort and the very unique taste that appreciates beauty writes Shahin Rajwani
What is ambiance? It sounds very broad or should I say wish-washy. The term is often used by designers and artists. I decided to look up the word in the Oxford English Dictionary and established it is an expression of a look and feel of a place that evokes a unique atmosphere or mood and compels people to want to stick around.
Now, isn’t that what we want to have when we get home? Don’t we want to come back home to a beautiful interior filled with beauty, comfort and mood enhancing benefits? A place that lifts our spirits and of those who enter our domain. The place ought to be that little heaven in this large stressful world. Well, this is my personal understanding of ambiance. Now, how do we apply this to interior design?
Spatial and furniture layout
It is the task of a good interior designer to look at a space, be it a restaurant, spa or home and create not only a spatial and furniture layout but also a mood and atmosphere in which people feel comfortable and relaxed.
How does one go about this? It all starts from the innermost inspiration of actualizing the heaven we call home on earth by combining the correct flooring, lighting, wall finishes, furniture, fabrics, artwork and accessories. A correct balance and combination of these items creates the sought-after ambiance in your place.
I know that most of us do not have all the skills to make this Wow at home! Hiring services of a professional interior designer is to a number of us equally a tall order. With this in mind, I say and seek to stress, “Don’t panic! Help is at hand.”
In every issue of Ideal Interiors, I shall be covering topics that will show you how you can change or improve your rooms yourself at home.
Purposeful combination
Each edition shall review a different area of your home starting with the living room showing you how a purposeful combination of furniture, colour, lighting and different textures can transform your living spaces and create the ambiance longed for in homes.
In order to give you a taste of what is coming, let’s in this issue sample a few pictures of the Ideal Interiors Show showstopper house. The home to die for was actualised within five days at the Village Market. As you take a look at these images, try to feel the atmosphere in the pictures. Note; how the use of colours and textures can create a harmonious and attractive interior.
In creating the show house, which I barely thought would become the event’s showstopper we took the following aspects into consideration.
- Good spatial planning which included the correct layout and placement of furniture and fixtures.
- A balance of colour on the walls by use of wallpaper and paint.
- A selection of textured fabrics applied to furniture and cushions to create a feeling of comfort and luxury.
- The use of lamps and mood lighting which affect our senses in more ways than we can imagine.
- The correct placement of accessories such as vases, candles and flowers that add a personal touch.
We shall cover all the above aspects in the forthcoming issues and show you how you can apply good design principles in your own home.
Natural flair
As human beings, we are all creative. Creativity is ingrained in our souls. We however tend to loose this talent along the way. Let’s stop using the left side of our brain for a while and start to unleash the right side which is filled with creativity, talent and a natural flair.
For one, interior decorating should be fun and not a chore. Let go of your fears and join us in every issue and learn how to create a home that expresses your own individuality and style.
If you have any design dilemmas, kindly write to us on info@realwealth.co.ke. We shall try and include the responses as part of our design column.
The writer is the managing director of Spiegel Interiors, located Mobil Plaza in the city county of Nairobi.