Fresh eyes bring out the beauty

Don’t you just love it when you arrive home after a great break away and you feel all refreshed? As well as thinking how nice it is being home, there’s also that sense of clarity when you look around. You’re able to see things more clearly, because you’re looking at them through “fresh eyes.”

Straight away you can see how things could look so much better. Often the inspiration for this comes from the fact that you’ve been shopping for the house and you need to make room for all your new goodies! You might have purchased a gorgeous glass vase, or a bold abstract painting, or some fabulous cushions and you need to make those new additions feel and look at home.

You might move that chair closer and the new cushions will really stand out; that side table by the couch is the perfect spot for the new object d’art, and wouldn’t Auntie Joan’s painting look way better in the hallway? Perfect – that makes way for the new painting in the lounge!

Don’t forget, if you lose your sense of clarity around the home, give us a call. As design and décor professionals, we’re blessed with fresh, clear eyes all year round!

Announcing Pantone’s Colour of the Year

So, we’re back at work and already immersed in the exciting world of décor and design, and Pantone’s announcement of its 2018 Colour of the Year – Ultra Violet – really made us sit up and think.

It’s a colour that has sure sent out strong waves, and close behind some mild shock waves too, as they swirl around those working with or simply fascinated by colour.

Pantone describes this blue-based purple as “dramatically provocative and thoughtful.” It’s bold and contradictory too: On one hand it symbolises “out there” expression but it can also take a scheme and its viewers inwards with a mood of contemplation, even spirituality. Ultra violet really does cover the spectrum of emotions and that’s what makes it exciting.

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute says, “The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.”

That’s right, challenging times call for challenging colours and at Amazing Interiors we’ve already been thinking how we’re going to work with Ultra-violet and how we can best advise our clients on incorporating it successfully into the home.

Our advice is go carefully and it should be okay. Here are a few pointers: We think it works best as a one-piece statement colour. You can go big with it, but don’t go overboard.

You can absolutely cover your sofa with it, for example, but avoid matching chairs or accessories because it could be too much. You can paint the walls in ultra-violet, either one or all four walls if you’re keen – but again keep minimal on accessorising in the same tone.

For the less bold, simply add a few cushions and one or two accessories against a fresh neutral backdrop to really let this colour pop.

Given its strong nature, you might think Ultra-violet would be tricky to bring in with other colours but this can be what really sets this tone off. You can put just about every other colour with it. In fact, that is what is needed if you really want to show the tone’s stunning vibrancy. It can look a little dull, or a little garish, otherwise. Team it with white, pink, green, grey and with metals! Brass, gold and copper enhance its richness and silver will give it a timeless appeal. 

Emerging décor trends

We know we don’t need design forecasters to tell us how to decorate our homes, but it’s still fun to know what’s trending, don’t you think? That way we can have the best of both worlds!

• Colour – it’s going bold and that’s not surprising. Given Pantone’s Ultra Violet taking centre stage, things tonally can’t help but heat up – with bold reds, vibrant blues and crisp greens featuring strongly
• Old is precious and prized – Vintage, retro and antiques; either recycled, repurposed or revamped – it’s all so precious in a world of mass-produced mayhem
• Metal Power – precious metals, and whatever sparkles the most for you. Brass is especially popular and iron anchors a scheme
• Wall Art – we’ve been loving images on our walls since the cave days, which must make this the most enduring trend ever
• Super Ceilings – hang on to your chandeliers, things are getting busy up there! Patterns, colours, paint effects – even art work if you’ve run out of wall space
• Spa Bathrooms – for the ultimate in luxury and relaxation, a spacious bathroom and a spa bath at home you can languish in for hours 

Our Home Staging Service

“We just love how beautiful interiors make people feel – you can literally change people’s lives,” according to our very talented Home Stylist Manager Nora Ngau Chan. Nora has just returned from visiting friends and family back home in Sweden so if you’re keen on the highly coveted Scandinavian Modern look, she’s your girl. Nora’s has a brave approach to Interior Design and it really pays off – she’s just recovered her own lounge room sofa in a rich plush purple, and that was even before Pantone announced their favoured shade for this year!

She’s full of other fresh ideas too and has already started creating décor magic wherever she goes. Her big passion of course is home staging, which is now considered pivotal in the process of selling a home. “It really helps in marketing your property to a wide audience of potential buyers, and we are totally committed to making your home stand out from the rest.

“As professional interior décor consultants, we have a strong sense for what will work at your place and ultimately impress. By carefully considering placement, colour and accessories, we can turn your home into a buyer’s dream,” Nora says.

If anything, 2018 is going to be about seizing the day and making the year count and what better way to set yourself up – and your family – by securing the best sale possible for your home.